Curved belt conveyor

ABSTRACT

A curved conveyor belt is disclosed including a roller-guided conveyor belt ( 1 ) having in the region of the edge that constitutes the outside radius of the curve an engagement element ( 2 ) that can be engaged, guiding the conveyor belt ( 1 ), by at least one guide roller ( 4 ), which is fastened to a roller holder ( 3 ), and the guide roller ( 4 ) and/or the roller holder ( 3 ) are movable towards the conveyor belt ( 1 ) and away from conveyor belt ( 1 ), and the roller holder ( 3 ) is configured in one piece.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority of German application no. 10 2006 024536.9, filed ______, which is incorporated herein by reference.

The invention relates to a curved belt conveyor, a method, and a use.

A multitude of the most varied curved belt conveyors is known in theprior art for conveying, in particular, packaged goods on a belt-likeconveyor.

DE 295 02 064.4 discloses a curved belt conveyor of a conveyorinstallation including a continuous conveyor belt that is redirected viacarrier rollers and having an edge bar at the outer edge which is guidedbetween stationary rollers that are disposed in pairs along the curve.The rollers are arranged on individual holders which are fastened in abelt-running frame and whereby respectively one roller of a roller pairis configured in such a way that it can be pivoted away from the edgebar. It is disadvantageous with this configuration that for major repairwork—irrespective of whether or not a replacement of the conveyor beltmay be necessary—a multitude of component parts must be disassembledwhich is very time consuming and therefore expensive.

One encounters the same disadvantage in the embodiment that is disclosedin DE 195 47 893 A1. It describes a curved belt conveyor with acontinuous conveyor belt that is driven by a motor and guided viareverse rollers and having a beaded edge that extends along the edgewhich forms the outside radius of the curve and protrudes over the beltplane and for which compensation of the longitudinal and transversalforces, that are generated due to the curvature, is effected by way ofsupport rollers that are arranged with the ability to freely rotate andthat are arranged at a distance relative of each other on the lateralframe side of the belt curve allocated to the outside radius inconveying direction and that are fixedly connected to the conveyor belton the side facing the inside radius of the curve where they engage inthe peripheral beaded edge. And the support rollers can be activatedfrom their support positions from where they engage in the beaded edgeof the conveyor belt thereby releasing the conveyor belt, and wherebythe inside lateral frame side allocated to the inside radius of thecurve is detachable from a support frame that receives the belt curve,and having an extension in terms of length and width in such a way thatthe conveyor belt can be pulled off without disassembly via the insidelateral frame side and from the reverse rollers in the direction of thecurve center. Assembly occurs in the opposite direction.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to avoid at leastsome of the disadvantages outlined in the above. In particular, theobject of the present invention consists of providing a curved conveyorbelt that allows, on the one hand, for quick belt changes and that makesit possible, on the other hand, to conduct major repairs while removingonly the fewest number of component parts, thereby allowing for quickrepair work.

This object is achieved according to the invention with a curvedconveyor belt as claimed in claim 1, a method as claimed in claim 11,and a use as claimed in claim 12.

The curved conveyor belt according to the invention includes a conveyingbelt that is guided by rollers and has an engagement element in theregion of the edge that defines the outside radius of the curve, forexample, and in particular by way of a rubber bead, against which atleast one guide roller, that is fastened to the roller holder, canengage, guiding the conveyor belt. For example, and in particular,several guide rollers, driving from their diagonal position against thebead, engage relative to the outside radius of the curve pulling thebelt to the outside, ensuring thereby that the conveying belt is guidedcorrespondingly within the curve. In this context, the guide rollerand/or roller holder is configured as movable away from the conveyorbelt and as movable toward the conveyor belt, for example and inparticular, with the ability to move and/or pivot; moreover, the rollerholder is designed in one piece.

To be understood as a one-piece-design of the roller holder according tothe invention are also embodiments featuring roller holders that are notdesigned in one piece in the classical sense but that can also includeseveral parts which, however, are connected to each other in such a waythat they are captive, thereby creating a quasi one-piece design.

This design allows for a flexible adjustment to different beltthicknesses and strengths of the guide bead while quick belt changes arepossible at the same time. The part variety was reduced which isadvantageous when doing a belt change or major repair work and whichresults, accompanied by the impossibility of losing parts of the rollerholder(s), in considerable time and cost savings.

The conveyor belt itself consists, for example and in particular, of atextile mesh of one or several layers provided with a coating of rubberor another elastomeric material such as, for example, PVC (polyvinylchloride) or PU (polyurethane). The guide rollers themselves are usuallycomprised of protected precision ball bearings.

The roller holders are usually made of aluminum or correspondingaluminum alloys and/or of profiled steel sheet pressings.

The roller holders can have tabs that are arranged on one side forreceiving the mount or tabs that are arranged as offset, whereby withthe latter the top and bottom sides are then arranged opposite eachother. An advantageous alternating, i.e. reciprocal, arrangement of thetight-side and slack-side guide rollers with regard to a conveyingsection, with an at least almost vertical axis especially relative tothe plane of movement, additionally improves the accessibility duringservice and repair work.

In practice it has proven effective for the guide roller to be pivotableand/or movable, for example and in particular over joints and/orelongated holes which may, for example and in particular, also be curvedwhereby fast and easy ability of movement away from the conveyor beltand toward the conveyor belt is made possible. In this regard it isconceivable, even though not absolutely necessary, that in connectionwith the ability of movement away from the conveyor belt and toward theconveyor belt, provided the conveyor belt is aligned parallel relativeto the ground and thereby aligned horizontally, the guide roller has amovement vector in a perpendicular direction during its movement atleast in the movement vector diagram, thus moving the guide rollerupward and/or downward. Correspondingly, this also applies for theroller holder and/or for a part of the roller holder, and whereby incase of the movability of the guide roller and the roller holder and/ora part of the roller holder a high level of flexibility relative todifferent curved belts is encountered, and for the most varied guiderollers and applications it is possible to effect fast andcost-effective changing of the conveyor belt and/or of the correspondingsettings to match the given circumstances by way of the correspondingadjustment of conveyor belt and roller holder.

Moreover, it is advantageous if the guide roller has ball bearingsbecause this ensures a quiet operation of the guide roller.

For an even more secure guide action of the conveyor belt in the curveof the curved conveyor belt, the guide roller is paired with anotherguide roller that is arranged on the opposite side of the conveyor belt,thus forming a guide roller pair, which means the roller pair engages inthe conveyor belt both from the top as well as from the bottom via theengagement element, in particular the rubber bead.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if at least one guide roller is arrangedeccentrically with regard to the point of rotation of the roller holderand/or a part of the roller holder which allows for controlled pivotingvia a pivot element, in particular if a guide roller is disposed on apivot element, in particular a pivoted lever. In a configuration of thiskind the pivot lever is connected with the ability to rotate to theroller holder, and the guide roller is self-centeredly (i.e. without itsown eccentricity) connected with the ability to rotate so that via thepivoting ability of the pivot lever an eccentric arrangement is achievedwith regard to the point of rotation of the roller holder, which meanshere with regard to the point of rotation of the pivot lever that isarticulated on the roller holder. In most cases, the guiding of theguide roller is configured as self-centered in order to ensure anoperation that is as quiet and even as possible.

It is advantageous if the pivoted element can be fixed in place by wayof a drive element, for example and in particular via a bolt that can beinserted in a bore hole in the roller holder.

Moreover, it is also advantageous for this configuration if the pivotedelement, in particular the pivoted lever, can be reversibly fixed inplaced in preset positions; for example, the pivoted lever may run in aguide groove of the roller holder and stop positions are provided on theguide groove in the form of line-shaped elevations in the materialthereby providing for a stopping against such line-shaped elevations inthe material but which elevations, however, can be overcome if force isapplied thus making a gliding across them possible. Line-shapedelevations in the material can be provided in pairs, arranged closelynext to each other so that corresponding elevations in the material ofthe pivoted lever can arrange itself between this pair position therebyproducing reversible fixing action. Furthermore, also conceivable aresimple line-shaped elevations in the material either on the sides of theroller holders or on the sides of the pivoted lever and, accordingly,corresponding material recesses are provided for the elevations toengage in whereby a relatively easy reversible fixing action of thepivoted lever is ensured on the roller holder.

Finally, the curved conveyor belt advantageously includes a frame devicethat predetermines the basic geometry of the curved conveyor belt sothat the latter stays constant, irrespective of the settings of theindividual conveyor rollers.

Using the drawings below, the invention will now be described by way ofexamples.

The figures illustrate:

FIG. 1—a schematic plan view of a cross-section of the curved area of acurved conveyor belt according to the invention;

FIG. 2—a schematic side view of a cross-section of a curved section ofthe curved conveyor belt shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3—a detailed partial view of the cross-sectional view shown in FIG.2;

FIG. 4—a detailed partial view of an alternative embodiment with regardto FIG. 3.

FIG. 1 shows in a top view a schematic cross-section of a curvedconveyor belt according to the invention. A conveyor belt 1, formingquasi a frustum of a cone, is guided over several guide rollers 4, whichare rotatably attached on corresponding roller holders 3, and engage inan engagement element in the form of a sewn-on rubber bead arranged onthe outside radius of the curve and forming an edge, and whereby therollers securely guide the conveyor belt thanks to its being endless.

Thanks to the pivoting ability of guide rollers 4 around the pivotedlever 5, as seen in FIG. 3, the conveyor belt 1, that is tensioned andfixed in place via the reverse rollers 6, can be securely guided due toits sensitive adjustability. To effect this, the individual guiderollers 4—as shown in FIG. 2—engage in pairs at the respective locationswith a vectorial force component in the direction of the outside edge ofconveyor belt 1 over the bead-type engagement element 2; and at therespective position, both on the tight side as well as on the slack sideof the conveyor belt 1, the upper guide roller is, via a respectivepivoted lever 5, eccentric relative to the point of rotation of thepivot lever on roller holder 3 and is therefore pivotable (upward anddownward).

According to the invention the roller holder 3 is configured as onepiece and is available as a special molded part so that it is fixed inplace in the frame device of the curved conveyor belt.

In the embodiment that is shown in FIG. 4 the pair-type guide rollers 4are arranged as alternating, i.e. they are reciprocal relative to eachother, across an additional captive, riveted holding element 8, wherebythe resulting accessibility that is provided for service and repair workis especially comfortable.

A drive unit 7, in the form of a motor, drives, via a drive shaft, thereverse rollers and in this special case also one of the two driverollers 6.

Because of the frustum-of-a-cone-type surface of the conveyor belt 1,the slack side of conveyor belt 1 extends, as seen in cross-section—asmay be recognized in FIG. 2—in the direction of the outside edge of thecurve slightly diagonally downward, so that the belt sides are guidedunder tension in order to prevent bulging of material.

While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, itis understood that it is capable of further modifications, and usesand/or adaptations of the invention and following in general theprinciple of the invention and including such departures from thepresent disclosure as come within the known or customary practice in theart to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to thecentral features hereinbefore set forth, and fall within the scope ofthe invention or limits of the claims appended hereto.

1-14. (canceled)
 15. Curved belt conveyor with a roller-guided conveyorbelt having an engagement element in the region of the edge forming theoutside radius of the curve that can be engaged by at least one guideroller, which is fastened to a roller holder, guiding conveyor belt, andwherein the guide roller and/or at least a part of the roller holder orthe roller holder itself is movable away from the conveyor belt andtoward the conveyor belt, and the roller holder is configured in onepiece.
 16. Curved conveyor belt as claimed in claim 15, wherein: a) theguide roller is pivotable and/or movable.
 17. Curved conveyor belt asclaimed in claim 15, wherein: a) the roller holder or at least a part ofthe roller holder is pivotable and/or movable.
 18. Curved conveyor beltas claimed in claim 15, wherein: a) the guide roller includes ballbearings.
 19. Curved conveyor belt as claimed in claim 15, wherein: a)on the side of the conveyor belt that is opposite to the guide rolleranother guide roller is provided thereby forming a guide roller pair.20. Curved conveyor belt as claimed in claim 15, wherein: a) the atleast one guide roller is positioned eccentrically with regard to apoint of rotation of the roller holder.
 21. Curved conveyor belt asclaimed in claim 15, wherein: a) a guide roller of the at least oneguide roller is arranged on a pivoted element.
 22. Curved conveyor beltas claimed in claim 21, wherein: a) the pivoted element can be fixed ina position by way of a locking element.
 23. Curved conveyor belt asclaimed in claim 21, wherein: a) the pivoted element can be reversiblyfixed in predetermined positions.
 24. Curved conveyor belt as claimed inclaim 21, wherein: a) the pivoted element is a pivoted lever.
 25. Curvedconveyor belt as claimed in claim 15, wherein: a) a frame device thatpresets the basic geometry of the curved conveyor belt is provided. 26.Curved conveyor belt as claimed in claim 15, wherein: a) the guiderollers on a slack side and on a tight side are arranged as alternatingwith regard to a conveying section of the curved conveyor belt. 27.Method for conveying goods, wherein: a) a curved conveyor belt asclaimed in claim 15 is used.
 28. Use of a curved conveyor belt asclaimed in claim 15 for the conveying of goods.